Sunday, June 04, 2006

Happy Campers

John and I met up with Duane and Todd, and their kids Mari and Daniel at McCormick's Creek State Park. They are there camping all week. John and I spent Friday night with them and got the royal treatment. We had our own HUGE tent with a big blow-up mattress. Duane and Todd cooked for us. And Daniel and Mari entertained us.

Daniel and Mari are big into stories, telling and hearing them. Nothing made them happier than sitting around the campfire listening to a bunch of adults talk about stories from their childhoods (I promise they asked for it, we didn't hold them hostage). Trixie the Snake Dog stories were the ones I had the most success with. Trixie was a small Rat Terrier my grandparents had. She kept snakes on their property shivering with fear. Almost every story ends with Trixie shaking a big snake back and forth between her teeth until its head pops off. You can see why she was so popular.

Daniel who was generous with his candy the entire time handed me a Jolly Rancher sucker before we left and said "For coming."

They would probably really enjoy the festival, and I know I would. Jennie, I kid you not that we all took turn telling stories for at least two hours, and they were right in there with us. Reminded me of when you and Julie were about 6 and in your "make up a joke" phase. I enjoyed that, too.